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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Evaluation of water cooled supersonic temperature and pressure probes for application to 2000 F flows

The development of water cooled supersonic probes used to study high temperature jet plumes is addressed. These probes are: total pressure, static pressure, and total temperature. The motivation for these experiments is the determination of high temperature supersonic jet mean flow properties. A 3.54 inch exit diameter water cooled nozzle was used in the tests. It is designed for exit Mach 2 at 2000 F exit total temperature. Tests were conducted using water cooled probes capable of operating in Mach 2 flow, up to 2000 F total temperature. Of the two designs tested, an annular cooling method was chosen as superior. Data at the jet exit planes, and along the jet centerline, were obtained for total temperatures of 900 F, 1500 F, and 2000 F, for each of the probes. The data obtained from the total and static pressure probes are consistent with prior low temperature results. However, the data obtained from the total temperature probe was affected by the water coolant. The total temperature probe was tested up to 2000 F with, and without, the cooling system turned on to better understand the heat transfer process at the thermocouple bead. The rate of heat transfer across the thermocouple bead was greater when the coolant was turned on than when the coolant was turned off. This accounted for the lower temperature measurement by the cooled probe. The velocity and Mach number at the exit plane and centerline locations were determined from the Rayleigh-Pitot tube formula.

Lagen, Nicholas T.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A high heat flux experiment for verification of thermostructural analysis

A major concern in advancing the state of the art technologies for hypersonic vehicles is the development of an aeropropulsion system capable of handling the high heat fluxes during flight. The leading edges of such systems must not only tolerate the maximum heating rates, but must also minimize distortions to the flow field due to excessive blunting and/or thermal warping of the compression surface to achieve the high inlet performance required. A combined analytical and experimental effort to study the aerothermodynamic loads on actively cooled structures for hypersonic applications was established. A hydrogen/oxygen rocket engine was modified to establish a high enthalpy high heat flux environment. The facility provides heat flux levels from about 200 up to 10000 Btu/sq ft/sec. Cross flow and parallel flow regeneratively cooled model can be tested and analyzed by using cooling fluids of water and hydrogen. Results are presented of the experiment and the characteristics of the Hot Gas Test Facility. The predicted temperature results of the cross flow model are compared with the experimental data on the first monolithic specimens and are found to be in good agreement. Thermal stress analysis results are also presented.

Gladden, Herbert J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A high heat flux experiment for verification of thermostructural analysis

A major concern in advancing the state of the art technologies for hypersonic vehicles is the development of an aeropropulsion system capable of handling the high heat fluxes during flight. The leading edges of such systems must not only tolerate the maximum heating rates, but must also minimize distortions to the flow field due to excessive blunting and/or thermal warping of the conmpression surface to achieve the high inlet performance required. A combined analytical and experimental effort to study the aerothermodynamic loads on actively cooled structures for hypersonic applications was established. A hydrogen/oxygen rocket engine was modified to establish a high enthalpy high heat flux environment. The facility provides heat flux levels from about 200 up to 10000 Btu/sq ft/sec. Cross flow and parallel flow regeneratively cooled model can be tested and analyzed by using cooling fluids of water and hydrogen. Results are presented of the experiment and the characteristics of the Hot Gas Test Facility. The predicted temperature results of the cross flow model are compared with the experimental data on the first monolithic specimens and are found to be in good agreement. Thermal stress analysis results are also presented.

Gladden, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1938

Heat-transfer processes in air-cooled engine cylinders

From a consideration of heat-transfer theory, semi-empirical expressions are set up for the transfer of heat from the combustion gases to the cylinder of an air-cooled engine and from the cylinder to the cooling air. Simple equations for the average head and barrel temperatures as functions of the important engine and cooling variables are obtained from these expressions. The expressions involve a few empirical constants, which may be readily determined from engine tests. Numerical values for these constants were obtained from single-cylinder engine tests for cylinders of the Pratt & Whitney 1535 and 1340-h engines. The equations provide a means of calculating the effect of the various engine and cooling variables on the cylinder temperatures and also of correlating the results of engine cooling tests. An example is given of the application of the equations to the correlation of cooling-test data obtained in flight.

Pinkel, Benjamin↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SHIIVER Assemby Thermal Model Prediction for Transient Test Conditions

An integrated thermal model of the Structure Heat Intercept, Insulation, and Vibration Evaluation Rig (SHIIVER) was built in Thermal Desktop/Sinda-Fluint and used to predict thermal performance of the system with the technologies being tested from the eCryo project. The technologies tested include the vapor cooling of the structure using the boil-off and multilayer insulation (MLI) on the hydrogen tank. The thermal model is used to 1) understand system transient behaviors; 2) perform trade studies of different vapor-cooling designs; 3) define the test operations matrix, test procedures, and conditions; and 4) address thermal-related questions at different phases of SHIIVER project. Details of the thermal model are herein described, and results corresponding to the test operations are presented for four different configurations at different fill levels. The thermal performance of each configuration is predicted with the thermal model regarding the heat reduction and boil-off reduction by using vapor cooling and/or MLI on the structures attached to the hydrogen tank.

thermal modeling↗
NASA NTRS2007

Initial Testing of the Stainless Steel NaK-Cooled Circuit (SNaKC)

An actively pumped alkali metal flow circuit, designed and fabricated at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, is currently undergoing testing in the Early Flight Fission Test Facility (EFF-TF). Sodium potassium (NaK) was selected as the primary coolant. Basic circuit components include: simulated reactor core, NaK to gas heat exchanger, electromagnetic liquid metal pump, liquid metal flowmeter, load/drain reservoir, expansion reservoir, test section, and instrumentation. Operation of the circuit is based around the 37-pin partial-array core (pin and flow path dimensions are the same as those in a full core), designed to operate at 33 kWt. This presentation addresses the construction, fill and initial testing of the Stainless Steel NaK-Cooled Circuit (SNaKC).

Garber, Anne↗
NASA NTRS2005

Variable Gravity Effects on the Cooling Performance of a Single Phase Confined Spray

The objective of this paper is to discuss the testing of a spray cooling experiment designed to be flown on NASA's KC-135 Reduced Gravity Testing Platform. Spray cooling is an example of a thermal management technique that may be utilized in high flux heat acquisition and high thermal energy transport concepts. Many researchers have investigated the utility of spray cooling for the thermal management of devices generating high heat fluxes. However, there has been little research addressing the physics and ultimate performance of spray cooling in a variable gravity environment. An experimental package, consisting of a spray chamber coupled to a fluid delivery loop system, was fabricated for variable gravity flight tests. The spray chamber contains two opposing nozzles spraying on target Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) heaters. These heaters are mounted on glass pedestals, which are part of a sump system to remove unconstrained liquid from the test chamber. Liquid is collected in the sumps and returned to the fluid delivery loop. Thermocouples mounted in and around the pedestals are used to determine both the heat loss through the underside of the IT0 heater and the heat extracted by the spray. A series of flight tests were carried out aboard the KC-135, utilizing the ability of the aircraft to produce various gravity conditions. During the flight tests, for a fixed flow rate, heat input was varied at 20, 30, 50, and 80W with variable gravities of 0.01, 0.16, 0.36, and 1.8g. Flight test data was compared to terrestrial baseline data in addition to analytical and numerical solutions to evaluate the heat transfer in the heater and support structure . There were significant differences observed in the spray cooling performance as a result of variable gravity conditions and heat inputs. In general, the Nussult number at the heater surface was found to increase with decreasing gravity conditions for heat loads greater than 30W.

Michalak, Travis↗
NASA NTRS1979

Operating characteristics of a large-bore roller bearing to speeds of 3 times 10 to the 6th power DN

A 118-millimeter-bore roller bearing was studied parametrically at speeds from 10,000 to 25,500 rpm. The bearing had a round outer ring (not preloaded), and provisions were made for lubrication and cooling through the inner ring. In some tests the outer ring was also cooled. The bearing ran successfully at 300,00 DN with very small evidence of cage slip. Load, which was varied from 2200 to 8900 newtons (500 to 2000 lb), had no effect on bearing temperature or cage slip over the speed range tested. Bearing temperature varied inversely with cage slip for all test conditions. Cooling the outer ring decreased its temperature but increased the inner-ring temperature. Heat rejected to the lubricant (power loss within the bearing) increased with both shaft speed and total oil flow rate to the inner ring.

Schuller, F. T.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Analysis of composite ablators using massively parallel computation

In this work, the feasibility of using massively parallel computation to study the response of ablative materials is investigated. Explicit and implicit finite difference methods are used on a massively parallel computer, the Thinking Machines CM-5. The governing equations are a set of nonlinear partial differential equations. The governing equations are developed for three sample problems: (1) transpiration cooling, (2) ablative composite plate, and (3) restrained thermal growth testing. The transpiration cooling problem is solved using a solution scheme based solely on the explicit finite difference method. The results are compared with available analytical steady-state through-thickness temperature and pressure distributions and good agreement between the numerical and analytical solutions is found. It is also found that a solution scheme based on the explicit finite difference method has the following advantages: incorporates complex physics easily, results in a simple algorithm, and is easily parallelizable. However, a solution scheme of this kind needs very small time steps to maintain stability. A solution scheme based on the implicit finite difference method has the advantage that it does not require very small times steps to maintain stability. However, this kind of solution scheme has the disadvantages that complex physics cannot be easily incorporated into the algorithm and that the solution scheme is difficult to parallelize. A hybrid solution scheme is then developed to combine the strengths of the explicit and implicit finite difference methods and minimize their weaknesses. This is achieved by identifying the critical time scale associated with the governing equations and applying the appropriate finite difference method according to this critical time scale. The hybrid solution scheme is then applied to the ablative composite plate and restrained thermal growth problems. The gas storage term is included in the explicit pressure calculation of both problems. Results from ablative composite plate problems are compared with previous numerical results which did not include the gas storage term. It is found that the through-thickness temperature distribution is not affected much by the gas storage term. However, the through-thickness pressure and stress distributions, and the extent of chemical reactions are different from the previous numerical results. Two types of chemical reaction models are used in the restrained thermal growth testing problem: (1) pressure-independent Arrhenius type rate equations and (2) pressure-dependent Arrhenius type rate equations. The numerical results are compared to experimental results and the pressure-dependent model is able to capture the trend better than the pressure-independent one. Finally, a performance study is done on the hybrid algorithm using the ablative composite plate problem. It is found that there is a good speedup of performance on the CM-5. For 32 CPU's, the speedup of performance is 20. The efficiency of the algorithm is found to be a function of the size and execution time of a given problem and the effective parallelization of the algorithm. It also seems that there is an optimum number of CPU's to use for a given problem.

Shia, David↗
NASA NTRS2011

Fission Surface Power Systems (FSPS) Project Final Report for the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP): Fission Surface Power, Transition Face to Face

The Fission Surface Power Systems Project became part of the ETDP on October 1, 2008. Its goal was to demonstrate fission power system technology readiness in an operationally relevant environment, while providing data on fission system characteristics pertinent to the use of a fission power system on planetary surfaces. During fiscal years 08 to 10, the FSPS project activities were dominated by hardware demonstrations of component technologies, to verify their readiness for inclusion in the fission surface power system. These Pathfinders demonstrated multi-kWe Stirling power conversion operating with heat delivered via liquid metal NaK, composite Ti/H2O heat pipe radiator panel operations at 400 K input water temperature, no-moving-part electromagnetic liquid metal pump operation with NaK at flight-like temperatures, and subscale performance of an electric resistance reactor simulator capable of reproducing characteristics of a nuclear reactor for the purpose of system-level testing, and a longer list of component technologies included in the attached report. Based on the successful conclusion of Pathfinder testing, work began in 2010 on design and development of the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU), a full-scale 1/4 power system-level non-nuclear assembly of a reactor simulator, power conversion, heat rejection, instrumentation and controls, and power management and distribution. The TDU will be developed and fabricated during fiscal years 11 and 12, culminating in initial testing with water cooling replacing the heat rejection system in 2012, and complete testing of the full TDU by the end of 2014. Due to its importance for Mars exploration, potential applicability to missions preceding Mars missions, and readiness for an early system-level demonstration, the Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration program is currently planning to continue the project as the Fission Power Systems project, including emphasis on the TDU completion and testing.

Palac, Donald T.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.0 Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) Testing

The space suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.0 represents the second integrated prototype developed and tested to mature a design that uses advanced technologies to reduce consumables, improve robustness, and provide additional capabilities over the current state of the art. PLSS 2.0 was developed in 2012, with extensive functional evaluations and system performance testing through mid-2014. In late 2014, PLSS 2.0 was integrated with the Mark III space suit in an ambient laboratory environment to facilitate manned testing, designated PLSS 2.0 Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) testing, in which the PLSS prototype performed the primary life support functions, including suit pressure regulation, ventilation, carbon dioxide control, and cooling of the test subject and PLSS avionics. The intent of this testing was to obtain subjective test subject feedback regarding qualitative aspects of PLSS 2.0 performance such as thermal comfort, sounds, smells, and suit pressure fluctuations due to the cycling carbon dioxide removal system, as well as to collect PLSS performance data over a range of human metabolic rates from 500-3000 Btu/hr. Between October 27 and December 18, 2014, nineteen two-hour simulated EVA test points were conducted in which suited test subjects walked on a treadmill to achieve a target metabolic rate. Six test subjects simulated nominal and emergency EVA conditions with varied test parameters including metabolic rate profile, carbon dioxide removal control mode, cooling water temperature, and Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (state of the art or prototype). The nineteen test points achieved more than 60 hours of test time, with 36 hours accounting for simulated EVA time. The PLSS 2.0 test article performed nominally throughout the test series, confirming design intentions for the advanced PLSS. Test subjects' subjective feedback provided valuable insight into thermal comfort and perceptions of suit pressure fluctuations that will influence future advanced PLSS design and testing strategies.

Watts, Carly↗
NASA NTRS2016

Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.0 Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) Testing

The space suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.0 represents the second integrated prototype developed and tested to mature a design that uses advanced technologies to reduce consumables, improve robustness, and provide additional capabilities over the current state of the art. PLSS 2.0 was developed in 2012, with extensive functional evaluations and system performance testing through mid-2014. In late 2014, PLSS 2.0 was integrated with the Mark III space suit in an ambient laboratory environment to facilitate manned testing, designated PLSS 2.0 Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) testing, in which the PLSS prototype performed the primary life support functions, including suit pressure regulation, ventilation, carbon dioxide control, and cooling of the test subject and PLSS avionics. The intent of this testing was to obtain subjective test subject feedback regarding qualitative aspects of PLSS 2.0 performance such as thermal comfort, sounds, smells, and suit pressure fluctuations due to the cycling carbon dioxide removal system, as well as to collect PLSS performance data over a range of human metabolic rates from 500-3000 Btu/hr. Between October 27 and December 18, 2014, nineteen two-hour simulated EVA test points were conducted in which suited test subjects walked on a treadmill to achieve a target metabolic rate. Six test subjects simulated nominal and emergency EVA conditions with varied test parameters including metabolic rate profile, carbon dioxide removal control mode, cooling water temperature, and Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (state of the art or prototype). The nineteen test points achieved more than 60 hours of test time, with 36 hours accounting for simulated EVA time. The PLSS 2.0 test article performed nominally throughout the test series, confirming design intentions for the advanced PLSS. Test subjects' subjective feedback provided valuable insight into thermal comfort and perceptions of suit pressure fluctuations that will influence future advanced PLSS design and testing strategies.

Watts, Carly↗
NASA NTRS1989

High temperature skin friction measurement

Skin friction measurement in the NASA Langley hypersonic propulsion facility is described. The sensor configuration utilized an existing balance, modified to provide thermal isolation and an increased standoff distance. For test run times of about 20 sec and ambient-air cooling of the test section and balance, the modified balance performed satisfactorily, even when it was subjected to acoustic and structural vibration. The balance is an inertially balanced closed-loop servo system where the current to a moving-coil motor needed to restore or null the output from the position sensor is a measure of the force or skin friction tending to displace the moving element. The accuracy of the sensor is directly affected by the position sensor in the feedback loop, in this case a linear-variable differential transformer which has proven to be influenced by temperature gradients.

Tcheng, Ping↗
NASA NTRS1989

Method and apparatus for maintaining thermal control in plasma conditions

An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining the effects of exposure of oxygen plasma on a thin film polymer whose bulk is maintained at a predetermined temperature. The apparatus includes a chamber having a specimen therein. A plasma environment is provided in the chamber. A closure member is provided for sealing the chamber after the specimen is introduced into the chamber. The closure member also serves as a support for the test apparatus which includes a cooling coil. A platform having the test specimen thereon is supported on the cooling coil to be cooled by coolant flowing through the cooling coils. A thermoelectric module is supported on the platform to assist in maintaining a low test temperature for the test samples. The temperature of the sample is monitored by a thermocouple probe which is in contact with the sample. Any change in bulk sample temperature caused by the thermocouple probe is quickly adjusted to maintain the initial bulk temperature by the thermoelectric module.

Whitaker, Ann F.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Improved Thermoplastic/Iron-Particle Transformer Cores

A method of fabricating improved transformer cores from composites of thermoplastic matrices and iron-particles has been invented. Relative to commercially available laminated-iron-alloy transformer cores, the cores fabricated by this method weigh less and are less expensive. Relative to prior polymer-matrix/ iron-particle composite-material transformer cores, the cores fabricated by this method can be made mechanically stronger and more magnetically permeable. In addition, whereas some prior cores have exhibited significant eddy-current losses, the cores fabricated by this method exhibit very small eddy-current losses. The cores made by this method can be expected to be attractive for use in diverse applications, including high-signal-to-noise transformers, stepping motors, and high-frequency ignition coils. The present method is a product of an experimental study of the relationships among fabrication conditions, final densities of iron particles, and mechanical and electromagnetic properties of fabricated cores. Among the fabrication conditions investigated were molding pressures (83, 104, and 131 MPa), and molding temperatures (250, 300, and 350 C). Each block of core material was made by uniaxial-compression molding, at the applicable pressure/temperature combination, of a mixture of 2 weight percent of LaRC (or equivalent high-temperature soluble thermoplastic adhesive) with 98 weight percent of approximately spherical iron particles having diameters in the micron range. Each molded block was cut into square cross-section rods that were used as core specimens in mechanical and electromagnetic tests. Some of the core specimens were annealed at 900 C and cooled slowly before testing. For comparison, a low-carbon-steel core was also tested. The results of the tests showed that density, hardness, and rupture strength generally increased with molding pressure and temperature, though the correlation was rather weak. The weakness of the correlation was attributed to the pores in the specimens. The maximum relative permeabilities of cores made without annealing ranged from 30 to 110, while those of cores made with annealing ranged from 900 to 1,400. However, the greater permeabilities of the annealed specimens were not associated with noticeably greater densities. The major practical result of the investigation was the discovery of an optimum distribution of iron-particle sizes: It was found that eddy-current losses in the molded cores were minimized by using 100 mesh (corresponding to particles with diameters less than or equal to 100 m) iron particles. The effect of optimization of particle sizes on eddy-current losses is depicted in the figure.

Wincheski, Russell A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Hydrogen film/conductive cooling

Small scale nozzle tests using heated nitrogen were run to obtain effectiveness and wall heat transfer data with hydrogen film cooling. Effectiveness data are compared with an entrainment model developed from planar, unaccelerated flow data. Results indicate significant effects due to flow turning and acceleration. With injection velocity effects accounted for explicitly, heat transfer correlation coefficients were found to be the same with and without film cooling when properties are evaluated at an appropriate reference temperature for the local gas composition defined by the coolant effectiveness. A design study for an O2/H2 application with 300 psia (207 N/sq cm) chamber pressure and 1500 lbs (6670 N) thrust indicates an adiabatic wall design requires 4 to 5 percent of the total flow as hydrogen film cooling. Internal regenerative cooling designs were found to offer no reduction in coolant requirements.

Ewen, R. L.↗